Variable-speed driving mechanism.



R. M. RUGK. VARIABLE SPEBD'DRIVING MBCHANISM.

APPLIATION FILED lAUG.30,190'I.

Patnted Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

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R. M. BUCK. VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MEGHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 19d?.

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Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

yUNITED s .aras l'rnrrnnfr ernten.

l RICHARD llIATTI-IEWS' BUCK, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

Speciicatonof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application med August so, 1907. serial No.. 390,734.

'termed a toothed cone composed of a series of toothed rings of. progressively varying diameter iixed side by side upon a Common axis, and on the other hand a toothed pinion I splined upon s, rotary* shaft extending parallel to' the `santafe of the cone; the inion being constantly 1n gear with one or ot er of the rings, and-the speed at which rotary rno- "tionietransmitted between the axes of the cone ,sind pinion being dependent upon the position, lengthwise of the cone, oecupied'by the pinion .which is capable of bein -shifted along its shaft in either direction, lhe suc- Cessive rings composing the cone have pregressively Varying numbers of teeth of equal pitch', and the relative angular position of the severaly rings is such that a straight row `v of teeth (or of intervals between'1 two adjacent teeth in each ring) extends fromend to end of the cone, with the result' that the p'inion may be caused to pass into gear with successive rings by being shifted along its shaft in either direction a dista-nee equal to the width of one ring each 'time the straight row of' teeth is brought, by' the revolution of the (one, into the common plane of the axes of the (one and inion. (For the salte of L orvenience, this p ane may be called the transfer plane).

The object of the presentinvention is to render.variable-speed driving mechanism 'of this kindavailable for use on moorvohirles and in IConnection with other machinery driven by highfspeed engines, in such manner that the velosity of the transmitted niotion may be varied (say) from a maximum to 'nil and beyond the latter so as to obtain reversal', yet without the necessity of inter.-

rupting Jthe running of the engine or alteringV ils speed or direction ol' rotation.

n Further objects of the invention areto 'enable the motion to be transmitted (i. e..

independently of the toothed cone) in certain circumstances, and, in the ,case of a motor vehicle, to provide improved means of braking the roadwheels. 'l hese ends are attained by the employment, in combination with the variable speed transmission mechanism above descrihed,of (on the one hand) an epicyclicA tram whereof one member is adapted .to be connected to the part 'ultimately driven, a second member 1s rotated by the driven member of the variable-sneed transmission mechanism, while a'thir'd member is rotated byl the engine at a constant speed.' and (on the other hand) a clutchmember capable of occupying either of three positions, in one of which it connects the part to be ultimately driven with the epioyciic train, in another. it connects said part with the engine independently of-the epifcylic train, and in the third it disconnects said part from both the engine and the epicyclic train. rlhe arrangement is such that (assuming the toothed cone tobe properly proportioned) it will be possible, for example, y putting the pinion-member of the variable speed transmission mechanism in gear with a particular ring of teeth` on the cone, td' cause the part ultimatel driven to rotate at a, velocity equal to 'n.2'. notwithstanding the'faet that sald art re.-

mains in gear with the engine ew ile the latter continues to run at a constant arid high velocity. When sthis is the case the part ultimately .driven will not only receive no motion in either direction but will actually be locked against rotation -and may thereafter be driven in one or the other direction by shifting the pinion-member of the variablebpeed .transmission mechanism in one or the other direction from the neutral zone constituted by that rinor of the conc` with which said pinion-member was until then in gear; the speed-ratio of the motion new transmitted increasing with the distance of the pinion-niember from the neutral zone.

.'l he invention will be-described with reference to the accompanying drawings where Figures 1 and 2 respectively show, in .plan View, two methods of applying the Variablespeed transmission gear to the driving meehanismoi amotor veliiclo, similar reference letters indicating corresponding parts in both figures. f

-The- 'pinion member A of the variabl-espeed transmission gear is splined upon a i shaft amounted to rotate in bearings parlcessive rings by of differential gear.

vis interseeted by that ot the shal't a.

allelA to the surface of the toothed cone B. 'lhe latter is composed of a series of rings B1, B2, Bs etc. of progressively varying diameter mounted to turn as one, side by side, the pinion being constantly in gear with one or another of the rings, so that the speed at which rotary motion is transmitted between the axes of the cone E and pinion A is dependent upon the posit-ion, lengthwise of the cone, oeonpied for the time being bythe pinion. In order to permit the pinion A to be moved along the cone so as to vary the s eed of transmission, the successive rings 1, B2, B3 etc. (which have progressiveiy varying numbers oi teeth of equal pitch) are set in such angular relation to one another that a straight row of teeth (or of intervals between two adjacent teeth in each`ring) extends from end to end of the cone, with the result that theV pinion may be caused to )ass into gear with sucbeing shifted along its shaft a, in either direction, a distance equal to the width of one ring each time the straight row of'f'teeth 'is brought, by the revolution of the cone, into the transita' plane as already mentioned. Any Convenient means may be adopted for thus shifting the pinion at will, and for so controlling its position, and coordinating its movements with the rotation oi the cone, as to insure that the shifting of the pinion shall only taire place at the proper time relatively tothe passage of the straight row et teeth on the cone through the transfer plane.

ln the arrangement shown in Fig. l, the in'ion-shaft a derives its inoion directly iiorn the engineI (not shown) and may, as indicated, extend at right angles to the driving axle whereof the two sections C are t onneeted as usual through the medium 'The latter comprises a easing (I turning freely on lroth sections of the axle and i-,arrying bevel pinions c which gear with a pair of bevel wheels el. c2 fast on the axle sections Cl' respectively. The toothed cone B (which in the present case iK the driven member of the variable-speed gear) is fast upon a shalt Z) wnich extends in the plane of, and may be oblique with referen'e to, both the pinion shaft a and driving axle, the axis of the shalt i) intersecting that of the axle-section (21 at a point :r situated between the inner end of said section and the point 3/ whcrcat the axis of the same seotion T he axle is caiable being pnt in driving ronneetion, tirough the dili'erential casingr (l, either with the pinion shaft a alone, or with the Cone shaft b (under the controlof the shafta) according as it is required to drive said axle without or with the variable-speed mechanism, and it is also capable of being entirely disconnected from both the shafts a and b as for example When the carL-s running freely downhill. For these purposes the shafts e and l) are respectively connect ed, through Cardan shafts D and E, with shafts d and e journaled in bearings in the axle gear casing l" and normally extending in alinenient with tho shafts aJ and b, the countershafts d and e respectively having fast on their ends (within the easing F) bevel pinions g and it, which in turn respeelively constantly with bevel wheels and l mounted concenlrieally on the axleesectioir tf1. ylhe bevel wheel` ti isflast'upon one end of a sleeve J turning lreely on the axle-seotion L, while the bevel wheel il is fast upon (or) integral with) the casing l of an en cyllic train mounted to turn freely on t e sleeve J. rlf'he casi-ng 'l Carries bevel pinions it' which with a pair of bevel wheels li, M, whereof the onefL is fast on the sleeve J, while the other M turns freely with referenf'e lo both the sleeve J and easing l. 'lihein` sleeve J extends from the bevel wheel G to'l the differentialr casing() and has mounted Vto turn freely upon it, between the casing C 9o and the bevel wheel lil, a clutch N adapted in all positions to maintain hiving ronnection with the casing C as for example yby means of the long dutch-teeth a. The clutch N, through whieh all driving power is transmitted from the engine to the'axle C2, and which is capable of occupying either of three positions, may be provided with any Convenient means for shifting it` lengthwise of the sleeve J as required. The eluteh is provided at opposite ends with teeth nl, a2 whereby it may be pnt in engage` `ment either with clutch-teeth j on the sleeve J or with clutch-teeth m on the bevel wheel M, :recording as it is reopuirei to drive the axle C (52 without or with the toothed cone B.

).Vhen the clutch N is in the mid or inactive position shown on the drawing, no motion is transmitted from the engine to the dillerential casing C, and the two sections U C2 of the d"iving axle are free to rotate independently of tl1e engine, whether the latter be running or not. lf now, en the one hand the clutch N be shifted (toward the left in the drawing) so as to ca'use its 115 teeth alito engage the clutch-teeth on the sleeve J, motioinirill be transmitted from the engine through'the shafts a., D, d, bevel gearing (AIG, sleeve J, clnteh-teeth j, nl, clutch N Iand clutclnteeth 'nto the differen- 120 tial easing C, and thence through the bevel pinions c and bevel wheels c1 ci to the re, spec-,tivo axle-sections U C2. Thevspeed of the moti-on so transmitted will be constant, being entirely independent of the position of the pinion A relatively to the cone B which however will be rotated in consequence of vits constant engagement with the pinion A and will drive idly the epieyelie Casin K.

if, on the other hand, the clutch N be shifted (toward the right in the drawing) so as to cause its teeth to en age the clutch-teeth m on the bevel whee M, the

4speed of the motion transmitted by this Wheel M to the clutch N will be compounded of the invariable speed of the motion conimunlcetedto the wheel L und the variable i' speed of the motion communicated throue'h cone B, shafts E, e, bevel gearing` ft, IL,

epic'yelic casing K., bevel pinions 7c, bevel Wheel M, clutch-teeth m, n3 clutch N, and

i clutch-teeth n, to thediffercntinl easing C,

and thence as before to the respective axlesections C2 C2, will be partly dependent -upon the nspeed of tne Wheel L which (being driven at constant velocity through the shafts a, `D and d and bevel gearing g, G)

controls the rotation of the pinions 7c. The motion ofthe wheel M will also depend upon the position of the pinion A lengthwise of the cone B, and it will be obvious that, by shifting this pinion along the cone in the manner already mentioned, any speed lmay be'obtained et will nithin the limits of cnpacity'of the cone. Assuming the epieyclie train to be capable. of doubling the speed then if the ratios ofthe gearing,r g G and h ll are in each 'cese 1:2 when ldie pinion A is in eer with that ring of the c'one (such as 1) which has twice as many teeth as the pinion A itself, no motion will he coinmuni rated to the. differential casing C, andtherefore th'e exile-sections C?, l vand the roedwheels carried thereby, will be locked without the' employment of any brake-gear external to the mechanism new under cons ideretion. Moreover, by shifting the pinion farther toward the larger end of the cone B, the axle. C1 Cwill be rotated in the reverse direction, the ring B1 constitutingI what may be termed the neutral zone of the cone B, end motion being transmitted by the one in one or the other direction accordingl zone B1 of the cone, the engine could be re -started wit-hout load notwithstanding:

retained) may he lel't'in gear.

(under the conditions nist assumed) theas the pinion A goers with a ring at the one or the other side of the neutral zone El, and at e speed which increases u ith the distance of the pinion A from said 'neutral zone.

It .will be evident that so lone' as the clutehN is in the mid position siu'nvn, the engine, being unloaded, can be started :it top speed without difficulty. clutch besides is reduired between the engine and gearing'. or the usuel clutch tif Moreover, it'

engine hed previously been vstopped hen the pinion A4 was in ;genr with tluineutral thet the eluteh N might be engaged with the epicychc casing K, the speedl of transmission No other i bein thereafter gradually increased from nil, for forward or backward runnino; as desired, by shifting, the pinion A in t 1e corresponding direction and to the requisite distance from the neutral zone.

'l'he arrangement shown in Fig. 2 ls'in 'most respects cssentiaily similar to that above described. In the present case however, the pinion A is the driven member of the variebe-speed gear, while the cone B is mounted directly upon the axle-section()1 whereon it is free to rotate as one with the sfeeve J to which the cone is fixed, the cone being )rovided at one end with a bevel wheel which is constantly in gear with a bevel pinicn 7) fast en e shaft Q which is journal ed in `a bearingr in the axle geen' casing F and driven from the engine (not shown) through the medium of a Caida-n shaft es indicated at q. The pinion shaft a is jonrna`cd in beerins in the casing F and is permanently in goet' with the epicyeic easing K whichturns f `ee`y on the ls eeve J, the shaft aand sleeve J haring res ective'y fast upon them beve 'whees r, Rv w lich are censtant'y in `rgeen with one another. The casing K carries bevel pinicns' k which gear with bevel `wl1ee`s L, M whereof L is fast on the sleeve J, while M turns free'y with reference to bot-h the casing K and sleeve J. The clutch N (through which es before ell drivingr power is transmitted from. the engine to 'the exe C" C2i turns free'y on the seeve J and, while capebeef occupying* either of three pesitions, is constant in enga-rement as et n with the diHerentuil casing C. The clutch yis provided at opposite ends with two sets ot' teeth n n2, whereby it may be )jut in engagement either with crutch-teeth j on the sleeve J or with clutch-teeth 'm en the bevel Wheel ax'e Cl C2 thrcufzh, or independently of, the epicyc'ic train K, L, M. When the clutch N is in the rnid or inactive position shown en the drawing, ne motion is transmitted from the entrino to the differential casing C, and the two sections C1 of the driving axle are freeto rotate. imlependcntfyof the engine, whether the latter be runnin@ er not. new, on-the one hand the utch be shifted so as to cause its teeth n* to engage the clutch-teeth j on the sfeeve J, motion wiil be trnnsmitted from the cntine through the shal'tQ bevel gearing 7), l), secve J, cutchteeth i, n" clutch N nud c'utrh-tecth n, to i the differential casing' C. und them-c thun 3h the; beveiplnions c und bevel wlwcis c, ci to the resnertlve axic-secti ms C C?. The speed of such transmi. ion will be ccnstnnt, i bein;r entire independent of the position of the pinion A icinthwise yot' the enne B. The

'pinion A beine' however rotated by the cone, wrt drive 1d y the epicyc 1c casln'' K. if on i the other hand the crutch N be shifted so as l to cause its teeth 'n2 to engage the clutohf 

